Satteelee aenold



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. s. ARNOLD.

THREAD OONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR SEW ING MACHINES. No. 391,352. Patented 0013. 1.8, 1888.

wibhaowy (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. ARNOLD.

THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR. SB WING MACHINES. No. 391,352. Patented 001;. 16, 1888.

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N. PETERS. Phmfimognphca Washmgwn. 0. c4

NiTEn STATES SATTERLEE ARNOLD, OF MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ANNA M. ARNOLD, OF SAME PLACE.

THREAD-CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,352, dated Qctober 16, 1888.

Application filed December 12. 1857. Serial No. 257.666. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SATTERLEE ARNOLD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Morristown, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thread-Controlling Mechanisms for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved automatic device for feeding a measured quantity of needle-thread for each stitch made by the stitch-forming mechanism of a sewing-machine.

In the thread feeding or measuring pull-off devices heretofore in use, in which the thread was clamped by an intermittent tension arranged to act on the thread between the pullofi and the needle when the pull-off was operating, certain objections have arisen by rea son of the fact that the clamping or intermittent tension was placed so far from the pulloff that the elasticity of the long stretch of thread between the pull-oft and clamping- 2 tension (particularly when sewing with silk thread) was so great that the action of the pulloff was rendered uncertain, and the thread could not therefore be fed to the needle with the accuracy desired. These defects are remedied by my invention, which includes two intermittingly-operating thread clamps alternately actuated, so that the thread is always held between one or the other. One of the said clamps prevents strain on the thread running from the pull-oft to the take-up and needle when the pull-off is operating, and the other prevents the thread from being drawn from the spool or other source of supply when the take-up is tightening a stitch. These in termittent thread-clamps are preferably both placed adjacent to each other and to the pulloif, so that they can be operated by a single moving part, and so that there will not be any considerable length of thread between the measuring pull-otf and the clamp which holds the thread when said pull-off is operating. My measuring pull-off, in connection with the intermittent thread'clamps, thus constitutes a reliable and accurate thread-feed capable of 50 adjustment to such a nicety that the exact quantity of thread desired can always be uniformly supplied to the needle.

In carrying my invention into effect Iprefer to mount the pull-oft, the cooperating thread-clamps, and the operating device or lever on a base-plate or support, which may be attached to the arm or any other suitable portion of the machine, the operating-lever being arranged to be actuated by the needlelever or other moving part of the machine.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates to fully understand the same, I will now describe the construction and operation thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side view of the upper part of a sewing-machine with my invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the pull-off and clamping devices and the base-plate on which they are mounted. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5 5, Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail plan views of the upper and lower clamping-plates, and Fig. 8 is a detail plan view of the operating-lever.

In the machine herein shown the arm A, the vertical driving-shaft B, having near its up per end an eccentric connected by a pitman, O, to a primary needle operating lever, D, the link (Z, the secondary needle-operating lever E, the link cl, and the needle-bar F are or may be essentially the same as in my patent, No. 331,106, dated November 24, 1885.

The take-np mechanism herein shown, and consisting of the take-up levers G, connected with the cam g on the shaft B, through the rocker g, pitman g and link 9'', is embraced by my application, Serial No. 257,667, filed simultaneously herewith, and is not herein claimed; but instead of this particular takeup mechanism it will be understood that any other well-known or suitable take-up may be employed in connection with my thread feeding and clamping devices.

Secured to the arm A is the threadfeed base-plate H, having the upwardly-projecting lugs h and h.

I is an operating-lever pivoted to the baseplate at i and having side projections or [00 wings, i provided with beveled edges 2". said lever is also provided at its free end with a slot, i for the reception of an operatingpin, d, carried by the lever E.

M is the lower clamping-plate,of thin spring metal, and K is the upper or rigid clampingplate. The arms m and m of the plate M are bent slightly, so that they normally spring away from the arms is and k of the plate 'K, these clamping-arms being forced together by the wings i of the lever I, the beveled edges of the said wings sliding under the said arms on and m and forcing them into clamping contact with the arms of the plate K as the said lever is vibrated back and forth, these parts being so arranged that the clamp composed of the arms m and 70 will be closed just as the clamp composed of the arms m and k is opened, and thus the thread passing between these clampingarms will always be positively clamped by one clamp or the other.

The plate M is raised above the base-plate H a distance equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the lever I by the plate J, and both of these plates may be riveted or 0th; erwise permanently secured to the said baseplate. The arms of the plates M and K are provided with thread-escape notches m and 70 and the latter plate is pivotally attached to the base-plateH byascrew, k beneath the head of which is a spring washer, k, which, while reliably holding the said plate K in operative position, permits the said plate to be swung aside, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, to bring the escape-notches of the said plates opposite each other, and thereby permit the thread to be drawn freely through the clamps when desired. The plate K is provided with a pin, k by which it may be thus conveniently swung aside or returned to its operative position.

The lever I is provided with a pull-off pin, 1', operating in connection with a loop or arch, 'n, of an adjustable resistance-plate, N, secured by a screw to the lug h of the base-plate, the

said loop or arch being of proper height to permit the said pin to pass under it and draw a bight of thread passing around one of the uprights of the arch through the latter, as shown in Fig. 3. The free'end of the plate N Y may be adjusted to any desired position by the regulating screw 12, passing through the lug h of the base-plate and furnished with a set-nut, by which it may be secured in place after adjustment. As the lever I has a uniform movement, it will be apparent that when the plate N is adjusted toward the lug h a shorter bight of thread will be drawn through the arch n by the pin 2'; but when the said plate is adjusted away from the said lug a longer bight of thread will be drawn through the said arch from the thread-spool. The said plate N, which is of spring metal, is bent slightly, so that it remains in contact with the regulating-screw n, whatever its position of adjustment.

The

The plate H is preferably provided with guard-pins h to prevent the thread from escaping from between the clamping-arms.

For convenience of description the clamp consisting of the arms I: and m of the plates K and M may be termed the pull-oft clamp, as it holds the thread from being drawn backward from the take-up and needle while the from the spool for the stitch which is to be made. As the said lever swings to the right the pull-oft clamp, consisting of the arms is and m opens, and the take-up clamp consisting of the arms 70 and m is at the same instant closed, leaving the loop just drawn from the spool free to be fed to the needle, the said take-up clamp holding the thread firmly while the stitch is being tightened.

The abovedescribed intermittingly-operating or automatic take-up and pull-off thread clamps are not tension devices in the sense that they exert an appreciable tension or drag on the thread, excepting when they clamp or hold the same positively or when they are in .clamping operation, the said clamps opening when permitted to do so by the removal of the wings of the lever I to allow the thread to pass freely; but as the thread is always held positively by one or the other of the clamps it will be readily understood that no tension on the thread other than this positive holding will be necessary.

My improved thread-feeding mechanism is specially designed for use in sewing elastic seams of lock-stitches in knit goods and other similar elastic fabrics, and practical use of the same has demonstrated that by its assistance the elasticity of the seams may be regulated with the greatest exactness, producing results heretofore unattainable with lock-stitch machines.

It will of course be understood that my clamping thread-feeding mechanism may be used with other forms of machines than that herein shown, and with or without a take-up; also, that my improved pull-offmay be used in connection with either one or two threadclamps or with ordinary intermittent tension devices, if desired. It will also be understood that the details of my invention may be varied within the province of mechanical skill with; out departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim- 1. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with a pull-off, of a thread-clamp located to act on the thread between the said pull-ofi" and IIC the thread source or supply, a second threadclamp located to act on the thread between the said pull-off and the needle,and positivelyactuated means for alternately operating the said thread-clamps.

2. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with a pull-off, of a thread-clamp located to act on the thread between the said pull-off and the thread-supply, a second thread-clamp located to act on the thread between the said pull-oft" and the needle, and a single positivelyactuated device for alternately operating the said clamps.

3. In asewinginachine, the combination, with a pull-off, of an intermittent tension or thread-clamping device placed closely adja cent to the said pull-off and arranged to clamp the thread between the pull-off and the needle, whereby only a short portion of thread will extend between the pull-off and clamp and unreliable action due to stretching the thread will be avoided.

4. The combination with a sewing-machine thread-feeding device consisting of a pull-off, a thread-clamp located to act on the thread between the said pull-off and the thread-supply, and a second thread-clamp located to act on the thread between the said pull-off and the needle, said pull-off being provided with means for alternately operating thesaid threadelamps, of asingle base plate orsupport which is separate from or independent of the frame of the sewing-machine and on which the said pull-ofi' and thread-clamps are all mounted, whereby the said feeding device is adapted to be attached to any suitable part of an organ ized sewing-machine.

5. The combination, with the pull-off and the upper and lower clamping-plates, each having two clamping arms provided with thread-escape notches, said pull-oft being arranged between the clamping arms of said plate, of abase plate or support to which one of the said clamping-plates is fixed and with which the other is pivotally connected, so that it may be swung aside for a free passage of the thread through both clamps.

6. The combination, with the base-plate and the upper and lower clamping-plates, each having two clamping-arms, of an operatinglever arranged between two sets of arms and provided on its opposite sides with wings or projections for alternately closing the two clamps consisting of the said clamping-arms.

7. A sewing-machine pull-off consisting of the adjustable resistance-plate, N, having the loop or arch n, and the swinging lever I, having the pull-off pin v3 arranged to travel through the said loop or arch.

8. The combination, with a pull-off device consisting of a stationary but adjustable rethread between the said pull-off and the said take-up, and positively-actuated means for alternately operating said thread-clamping devices.

10. The combination, with the base-plate H, of the plates K and M, each having two clamping-arms, the operating-lever I, having a pulloff pin, 1', and two wings provided with beveled edges,and the adjustable resistance-plate N, having the arch or loop a, under which the said pull-off pin travels.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SATTERLEE ARNOLD.

\Vitnesses:

R. J. LUOKEY, M. LINDEMAN. 

